Orchestral Maneuvers: The NSO at Wolf Trap
As the principal conductor for the NSO at Wolf Trap, Emil de Cou often finds himself in strange orchestral terrain
“It’s not the high point of western art,” admits Emil de Cou with a laugh, “but it serves a really good purpose of introducing the sounds of the orchestra and the incredible colors, melodies, to young people who otherwise wouldn’t hear it.”
“It” is the music of Pokémon. And as the official NSO at Wolf Trap Festival Conductor, de Cou is addressing its inclusion in the 2015 summer lineup, one of several diverse, eclectic performances by the NSO during their annual run at the Filene Center. A Nintendo video game may seem an odd thing to discuss with a nationally-renowned classical conductor, but de Cou, whose full-time post is as the director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, handles the subject with typical grace and aplomb.
“Certainly, you’re not going to sit and listen to The Legend of Zelda by yourself or over dinner,” he says. “It’s video game music. It sounds like lighter film music — it’s not as substantive as works by someone like John Williams. But it’s a really good introduction to the beautiful sounds of the orchestra.”
Of the remaining seven NSO appearances in the series — including Verdi’s Aida and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, performed in tandem with the Wolf Trap Opera — de Cou is helming three: An evening with Rufus Wainwright (July 31), a live accompaniment to the 2009 reboot of Star Trek (August 1), and a tribute to the music of John Williams (August 8).
“Williams is probably the single most famous composer in the history of music,” says de Cou. “Without a doubt, he’s the most famous living composer in the world. The majority of the world’s population probably know the theme to Superman or Raiders or Star Wars. And if your music is known by a billion people, that’s important — not just for him as John Williams, but for American musical culture. That’s a pretty hefty contribution.”
The Williams evening will include the composer’s usual hits — Raiders, Jaws, E.T. — but will also display the his breadth by including movements from Lincoln, the “Harry Potter” series, and Catch Me If You Can, which de Cou personally admires for its jaunty, jazzy feel.
By far, the most challenging concerts on de Cou’s slate are those in which the orchestra plays live to an established motion picture. For this, a film’s musical tracks are stripped from the soundtrack. The NSO must then reproduce, note-for-note, sound-for-sound, second-for-second, the entirety of the score in time to the film, projected on a massive screen that de Cou marvels is “much bigger than IMAX.” It’s a daunting task.
“It’s some of the most difficult work I’ve ever done,” says de Cou. “You have to be precise within half a second, which is really, really, really hard. I basically have to memorize the film. I’m watching for lines. I’m watching for camera angles and camera changes. In a studio if you’re recording 30 seconds at a time, it’s one thing, but if you’re playing 2 plus hours, it’s a real feat to pull it off.”
The 55-year-old conductor notes that the feat is “hardest for the musicians furthest away from his podium. When you’re playing a brass instrument — a tuba or trombone or trumpet — you’re putting out so much sound you can’t hear the violins, you can’t hear the cellos, just because there’s just so much sound around where you’re sitting. I have to communicate a lot in silence to different sections that might get a little ahead or behind.”
Tickets to the NSO’s season at Wolf Trap start at $20 and are available online at wolftrap.org or by calling 877-965-3817. Wolf Trap is located at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Va. For the full summer concert lineup, visit wolftrap.org.
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